8 Action Points To Accelerate Your Business

Your future is worth it and it’s time for you to create it by accelerating your growth. I believe that success loves speed so here are 8 action points you would want to do daily to accelerate your business.

Let us for a moment take a look at the 5%ers and the 95%ers. Where are you positioned right now? People in the 5%:

Earn more

Contribute more

Are more disciplined

Make a greater impact on humanity

Live a different lifestyle

People in the 95%:

Worry about money all the time

Never have enough

Are undisciplined with their life and finances

Earn less

Would like to give, do and contribute more, but it never happens

Lifestyle – what lifestyle?

So, picture this, 95% of 7 billion and 6,650,000,000 are all going in one direction – wrong mind-set, less discipline, less contribution, lesser lifestyle. You want to get into that 5%, that 350,000,000 who are not worrying about money, contribute and give back more, are more disciplined and make a greater impact on humanity. Over 6 billion people all going one way.

Which way are you going? Are you going the other way? Do you think you possess the right mind set to get into the 5%? Yes you do!

So here are 8 action points you can do daily so that you too can be in the 5% and get all that you desire in life and business.

1. Eat the dessert first

‘Life is so short and unpredictable – eat the dessert first’. Helen Keller

Dessert signifies a treat, feeling of fullness and enjoyment in life – what are the key things that will feed that?

Pray, meditate (if you do) or reflect on some kind of affirmation of what you want to accomplish in life. Affirmations are powerful, start the day thinking about who you are and what you want.

Read for empowerment and self-development – arm yourself against all the negatives that will come during the day. You will remember the negatives, but rarely remember all the positives – a client says no, a colleague or your boss tells you how disappointed they are, someone does not return your call, lost money on a project, overspent on another – those negatives constantly bombard your mind and personal development will help you deal with it when it comes.You know, I read empowerment magazines and at least 4 books a month, books on money, mind-set, speaking, entrepreneurship and some on becoming an expert in my field. So, once I’m charged up from 6am-8am I’m ready no matter what comes my way.

2. Exercise

Most people exercise in the evening after work or on the weekends, I have learnt now to get it out of the way in the morning – 30-35 minutes on the treadmill or lifting weights and I’m charged up for the day. Sometimes I can’t do that so a long walk three times a week outdoors is all I need. Fit your exercise routine into your daily tasks, it’s important to live your champion life.

Find what works for you – for my friend it’s a gym work out at 4am, for me, no chance, but that works for him.

3. Focus a bit more and control what goes into your calendar

Wow, this I needed some years ago. If you are not working from a calendar or business calendar in time slots, you are leaving yourself open to mismanagement and chaos.

Take a check – how much of your normal day is clogged with mundane and trivial tasks that someone else should be doing or can be delegated to someone else? Learn to say NO! Yes, say NO! It may hurt them for a while but in the end profit will prevail.

4. Be positive and learn to control negatives

I think this right here is why most people fail. Do you know it’s hard to stay positive? Negativity almost always comes in the form of you telling yourself:

You didn’t do a good job

You’re not good enough

They will say no, you won’t get the contract, they will say your product or services are too expensive, etc.

Okay let me give you some advice to deal with the negatives, if it’s yourself or your thoughts:

Talk to yourself

Talk to someone who has already done what you want to do – get advice and support

Listen to and read empowering stuff daily – read testimonials and stories from people who have done it.

If it’s negative outside forces (family, etc.):

Live by one of my favourite statements – ‘Never accept advice from anyone more messed up than you are’

Prove to them – doing small increments at a time

Get all the facts to show them

Develop some grit and determination

5. Do the work that pays

This here is where most people get stuck – do the work that pays. I want you to write down at least 3 things that are productive in your field of business that do one of the following:

Increase sales

Increase referrals

Make you better at getting a ‘yes’ or closing the sale

Promote growth in your business

Generates new leads (e.g. attending networking events)

The key is knowing what will increase sales, increase referrals and get you a yes FASTER.

These activities must be your larger focus daily. Instead of doing things that waste your time, do the income generating tasks. How many times have you been reading emails, leading to looking at Facebook and watching some monkey dancing in a video, wasting time – don’t tell me this hasn’t happened to you!

It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert – let’s look at what exactly to do in those 10,000 hours to get your business off the ground, get to the next level and create more growth:

Networking and follow ups – follow up within 24-48 hours or when asked to.

Organise meetings with prospective clients after you’ve vetted them properly. Use Skype or hangouts to do an initial meeting and introduction instead of travelling miles for a face to face meeting.

Read about them on social media or online first, or ask a colleague or someone who knows them.

Get to the point – what you are looking for or what do you want? Be sure to show the value of your service or product, no one cares how many features it has – can it do the job – full stop!

When you do meet in person, meet in a suitable location – not in the pub, McDonalds or somewhere loud. The best times to meet are Mon-Thu and until Fri lunch time, unless otherwise agreed and specified.

Be on time, be suited and dressed according to your business – be prepared.

Delegate all else that can be delegated!

6. Connect with a mastermind group or have an accountability partner

This here is priceless – accountability breeds responsibility. You need someone or a group of people who will hold you accountable to your core activities daily. Someone who will not let you slip or just slide through life. Have you got someone in mind? Reach out to them or find out about having me as your accountability partner.

7. Finish your day before starting it

This has been one of the biggest reasons I get more done now than before. What does this mean?

Write down 10-20 things you need to do the next day before you finish the day

Categorize these 10-20 things in order of priority

Time each one – put a time slot for each item and aim to do it within that time

Write down your breaks and lunch time to ensure you stay on track

Read it over and over the night before so you are clear in your mind what needs to be done.

8. Reflect on your day

What did you accomplish?

What could you have done better?

Where did you waste time?

What could you do differently?

Who could you have called, emailed, shouted out to say ‘I appreciate you, I love you, you mean more to me than ever before’?